Miniature darkroom device for ophthalmoscopes



Jan. 9, 1940. c. POSNER MINIATURE DARKROOM DEVICE FOR OPHTHALMOSCOPES Filed Aug. 21, 1936 m PW R N m N O V 5 W m o A 4 P .,...\....T.... \IEEPI s w ii E m A H C Patented Jan. 9, 1940 mazes MINIATURE DARKROOM DEVICE FOR OPHTHALMOISCOPES Charles Posner, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Walter A. Arnesen, Flushing, N. Y.

Application August'Z-l, 1936, Serial No. 97,153

6 Claims (01. 88--20) Another object of the invention is to provide an ophthalmoscope including a pair of eye cups which are secured in place to provide a darkroom.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a removable darkroom forming device for ophthalmoscopes.

Other objects and the advantages of myinvention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

\Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing my improved darkroom in con- 25 nection with a direct illuminating ophthalmoscope;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device; Fig. 4 is atop plan view of the device with 30 parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, with parts broken away, showing my invention;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and 35 Fig. 7 is a fragmentary "side elevation, partly in section, showing details.

Prior to the'present-invention physicians who make a practice of including a retinal study of patients have been troubled by the necessity of 40 converting the patients room into a darkroom for a satisfactory study of the eye grounds. In order to overcome, this difficulty I convert the usual ophthalmoscope, whether it is of the direct or the indirect illuminating type, into a miniature darkroom.

My invention is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the ophthalmoscope is indicated generally at In.-

55 standard [3 through which a lead M for the lamp extends. Mounted on the post I2 is a housing I5 which includes a front wall 1 6 and a rear wall I1, the latter having a flange l8 engaging the front wall to provide a recess I9. In the recess I9 a rotatable lens carrying member, or disk, is 5 -mounted to rotate about a pivot 2|.

This lens carrying member includes a serrated edge 22 which projects through side apertures 23 in the housing as shown in 'Figs. 2 and 3, to allow the lens member to be rotated.

The upper end of the post l2 includes a boss 24 which projects from one side of the post. In

the type of ophthalmoscope shown the housing 55, the disk 20, and boss 24 are provided with aligned apertures 25, 2e, and. 26. On the boss 24 15 adjacent the upper end of the post a wheat grain electric lamp bulb 2! is mounted and is suitably connected tothe lead Hlj The support II includes a suitable switch (not shown) in circuit with the lead [4 to control theflow of current to the bulb 27.

To protect the bulb I provide a guard member 28 which has a plurality of pins 29 thereon. The pins 29 have a tight sliding fit in holes in the upper end of the post [3 so that the guard mem- 25 her is removably held in place. Furthermore, the standard I3 has a locating dowel pin 29 extending therefrom which is positioned in an aperture provided in the guard 28 This guard member includes an aperture in which the bulb 21 30 is arranged and an aperture 3| which is in alignment with the apertures 25 and 26 previously described. In operation, the switch is turned on to illuminate the bulb 21 and then the lens disk is rotated until the proper lens appears in align- 5 ment with the apertures 25, 26, and 26'.

In order that darkroom facilities may be provided for using the o-phthalmoscope I provide a pair of cup members 55 and 5|. These cup members maybe made of suitable material such as 40 aluminum, rubber, fiber, etc. and the interior of the cup members may be a dull black to absorb the side radiations from the light bulb.

Each of the cup members is connected by a resilient member 52 which has cup base portions 53 and 54 on its ends which are soldered or welded as at 55 and 56 to the eye'cups. Thebases 53 and 54 are provided with apertures 51, 58, and 59 which serve to provide light passageways and to receive the boss 24. In use the cup members 50 and 5| are secured in place by flexing the member 52 and spreading the eye cups apart then placing the cups with the cup base 53 engaging the rear of the housing l5 and with the cup base 54 engaging the top of the post I3. The members 5 will be held in place due to the resiliency of the spring 52.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have invented a novel darkroom for ophthalmoscopes which can be economically manufactured and which is highly efiicient in use.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In an ophthalmoscope, a body including a standard and a housing on said standard, said housing having a recess therein, a lens carrying member in said recess, said standard, said housing, and said lens carrying member each having a viewing aperture therein, said viewing apertures being in alignment and forming a passage through the body, a; lens in said lens carrying member aperture, an incandescent lamp bulb mounted on said body adjacent to the apertures therin, a darkroom forming device comprising a resilient substantially U-shaped member engaging the upper portion of the body having a pair of ends and having an eye cup on each end, each of said eye cups including a hollow member having an open end, one of said eye cups engaging one side of said body and the other eye cup engaging the other side of said body, each of said eye cups having an aperture therein, said eye cup apertures being in alignment with said first mentioned apertures, one of said eye cups being adapted to engage about the eye of a patient and the other eye cup being adapted to engage about the eye of an examiner.

2. An attachment for an ophthalmoscope body having light directing means and an inspection opening adjacent said light directing means, said attachment comprising a pair of eyecups each having a sight aperture through the bottom thereof, forked resilient strip member .means securing said eyecups together with one eyecup secured to each end of said resilient strip member, the ends of the resilient strip member being formed to engage the upper portion of the body of the ophthalmoscope for detachably securing said eyecups, one on each side of said body with the apertures in the eyecups in substantial alignment with said inspection opening.

3. As an attachment for an optical diagnostic instrument having an inspection opening and having a light directing member on one side thereof, a pair of eyecups having openings through the bottoms thereof, and means for securing said eyecups together and for detachably securing the cups to said instrument with the openings in the cups in substantial alignment with said inspection opening, one of said cups having the wall thereof cut away to permit said light directing member to extend into the interior thereof.

4. As an attachment for an optical diagnostic instrument having an inspection opening and having a light directing member on one side thereof, a pair of eyecups having openings through the bottoms thereof, and a resilient member for securing said eyecups together and for detachablysecuring the cups to said instrument with the openings in the cups in substantial alignment with said inspection opening, one .of said cups having the wall thereof cut away to permit said light directing member to extend into the interior thereof.

5. As an attachment for an optical diagnostic instrument having an inspection opening and having a light directing member on one side thereof, a pair of eyecups having openings through the bottoms thereof. and a resilient strip member for connecting said eyecups together and for detachably securing the cups to said instrument with the openings in the cups in substantial al gnment with said inspection opening, one of said cups having the wall, thereof cut away to permit said light directing member to extend into the interior thereof, said strip member having openings therein corresponding to the openings in the cups.

6. As an attachment for an optical diagnostic instrument having an inspection opening and having a light directing member on one side thereof, a pair of eyecups having openings through the bottoms thereof, and a resilient strip member having openings in the ends thereof corresponding to the openings in said cups, said cups being secured to the respective ends of said strip, saidstrip being bent to extend longitudinally on each side of said instrument for attaching the cups thereto with the openings in the cups in substantial alignment with said inspection opening, one of said cups having the wall thereof cut away to permit said light directing member to extend into the interior thereof.

CHARLES POSNER. 

